Nunchucks
 

I think this is the coolest weapon of them all. Seeing Bruise Lee weilding 1 (2) of these just makes me wanna learn them. So I am wonder if anybody could share their openion on this weapon. (usafullness, learning speed, etc)

Get the rubber coated ones to practice with, especially at the beginning.

<-- Speaks from experience.

The problem with chain weapons including nunchuks is that they fly around beautifully until you hit something with them. At that point they can bounce off anywhere. I created some when I was in school and tried to teach myself to weild them. I succeeded in hitting myself in the head enough times to make me stop.

It's all about the follow-through. You just hafta learn how to recover from contact. It's the same with any melee weapon i've used.

I'm a firm believer in the persuasive power of kali sticks myself.

echo that from filtherton on the recovery- they are devastating and effective, but of all the weapons that I sell, they are about the only one that I do not use, because they are so damned tricky compared with other weapons- they also take a fair ammount of space to use- seems like common sense, but more than one person I know has KO ed a lamp or some unsuspecting household implement- if you can learn em though, they are impressive, and you will stand in an elite circle in my book-

Another note to considder- chucks at early stages should be taught sorta like stick fighting- you dont swing them as a flail, but hold them together and jab at vital targets, ect, I say this because it is handy to learn, as sticks are always available, but chucks may not be- and in some areas nunchucks are illegal unless you are traveling to or from practice- while sticks are pretty much legal and plentiful everywhere...... So check your local laws..... and be careful...

Nunchucks are badass if they can be used properly. Look at Bruce Lee or Bubbles.

hehe. Ain't that the truth! I've lost count of how many students I've seen whack themselves in the head with those things. Did it myself when I was learning them.



Agreed. When's the last time you were strolling down the street and saw nunchaku lying under a tree? I sure do see a lot of sticks and pipes when i wander around though. . .

Nunchaku's teach speed, timing, and weapon positioning. It's a great weapon to learn. Not only effective, it helps with your body mechanics in regards to the empty hand, as well as general weapons fighting.

Get a good teacher though, there's more than just spinning and whipping involved.

Also, it's good idea to start with foam. Then go heavy. You'll definitely respect it. I use oak for serious practice (with chain) And the lighter-than-air, faster-than-lightening rattan when I'm showing off.

Good luck to you.

Oh and practice OUTSIDE!!!!:D

yea, you dont want the wooden ones(yet) my hubby has the wooden ones and i decided to play with them one day and oh my gosh they are heavy and they hurt like a @#$#$^& He looks so sexy when he plays with them hes so good.

When I was in self defence, my instructor told me about how back when he was a teenager, he bought a pair and started practising out on the driveway. He started whipping them around and then woke up four hours later as his dad honked the horn while attempting to pull into the driveway after coming home from work.
I would almost suggest a helmet because head injuries are not a pleasant experience in the slightest.

I don't know if I have much to add to the conversation, but I want to echo what's already been said. I've trained with several different hand to hand weapons, so I too speak from experience.

1) Nunchuckas are hard to learn to use effectively, in comparison with other weapons.
2) Check on state weapon laws. In Maine, where I'm from originally, they are considered an offensive weapon, and as such they cannot be carried concealed without a permit.
3) Get foam ones to begin with. I've used several different kinds and given myself many bruises to accompany each of them.
4) Don't even pretend you're good enough to practice inside, unless you have a huge fucking room with nothing in it.
5) If you do go for it, and you put enough effort into learning to use them, you will be rewarded by
A) Knowing more about your body and becoming a more effective fighter in general and
B) Looking totally badass.

I think that's about it. Good luck.

Well, they are very much like fighting with a straight up chain from what I've seen. When brought into a fight, someone WILL get hurt, and baddly. It's pretty much 50/50 on if it will be the guy being attacked with them or the guy useing them unless you REALLY know what you are doing with them. Stick with a knife or a good stick. Ain't nothing more embaressing then lossing a fight because you knocked yourself cold.

Nunchucks
 

Nunchakas are and extremely effective blocking and garroting weapon. I believe they were originally devised from a farm implement that was use to flail wheat laid out on mats. Since the peasants were not allowed to carry anything that resembled a weapon these where considered to be safe thing to carry .

I've read some where that with enough spin they can generate hundreds of PSI upon impact. Considering that the strongest bone in the human body breaks at 70 to 80 psi, its extremely effective.

Anyone who believes that they are not effective close in weapons had not trained with them properly. There are several techniques that incorporate strikes using the ends of the weapon. When used as a garrote weapon your opponent can be incapacitated quickly. Also held in a reverse L position they can be effective as a blocking device. Also there are techinques that can trap leg and hand strikes and combined with feet and hips be used in throwing.

An incredible amount of damage can be done with a uppercut or snap shot a manuver that does not entail any of the theatrical spinning displayed in chop socky films.

All that is true, Kirk44, but keep in mind all the blocking/trapping stuff can be done with a handkerchief as well.

The primary problem with nunchaku today is that 1) they're illegal to carry just about everywhere 2) there are very few things you can pick up off the ground that have 2 solid rods connected by something flexible, so your nunchaku training is not likely to be applicable in a street fight, and 3) unless you train a long time on them and are trained by someone who really knows how to use them in battle, you are probably going to whack yourself with them the first time you try to use them in a fight. This of course, is a major problem, because most people that teach nunchaku today don't know how to fight with them - they only know how to make them look cool in tournaments.

BTW a kali stick can generate just as much, if not more, PSI as a nunchaku can, and no one's ever been arrested for carrying a dowel on the street :D

Re: Nunchucks
 

Holy shit!
I never knew nunchucks were actually effective in fights. All the better I guess.

Practice with the real deal no pussy padded crap, that's the only way to learn, quickly @ least. Trust me, it hurts when you make a mistake, you learn fast.

And you'll be down a few million brain cells from all the blows to the head, which might explain why someone would be crazy enough to advocate swinging big pieces of solid oak right by their temple before they know what they're doing.

I've studied several weapons and I have to say that if I were to dislike one weapon it would be the nunchuka.

While if practiced extensively they can become extremely effective weapons, they aren't really more effective than other simpler weapons (stick or rope) and you're much, much less likely to have them on hand when you need them.

It's true that it can generate devastating force, it's not much if any more forceful than a stick without the chain in the middle. Beyond that, I think they're less effective for blocking/ trapping than that belt you're probably wearing right now.


The day I get into a nunchuka fight is bad day indeed.

Perhaps, depending on the wielder.....

Octagonal nunchaku (chucks with octagon-shaped handles instead of round ones) are designed for cutting when swung at high speeds. Moderate to heavy force with these can take a person's head off.

Thus they are illegal in most states for their deadliness and relative simplicity to learn.

I didn't know that octagonal chucks were designed for such a purpose. That makes a lot of sense and I could see such a design cutting down on the 'bounce back' factor.

Still, I stand by the statement that they aren't, in general, as effective as stick or rope because of several factors. Those factors include the necessary distance from your opponent and the ease in which a mistake can be made.

While both of those factors can be mimimzed with lots of practice, it's still much easier to incidently brain yourself instead of your oponent than it would be with a simple stick or belt.

I'm going to call out two statements made in this thread.

The first is that the PSI generated by a blow from nunchaku is similar to that of a stick. That would be acceptable if both the speed and mass of both weapons were identical. However, the nunchaku is moving significantly faster than the stick based on the pivot point. If someone more versed in physics could lend a hand I'd appreciate it. Either way, sticks hurt, chucks hurt.

The second is that an octogonal nunchaku can cut someone's head off. I suppose that this is true in the same manner that a highway divider can cut someone's head off if they ram their car into it in a particular manner.

Yes chucks do travel faster due to the pivot point which would generate more force than a stick. That is the point of flail weapons. In contrast the pivot point also means at the point of contact more of the generated force is bounced back ("every action has an equal and opposite reaction"). So chucks produce more force but lose that force on contact. I dont have access to the knowledge about which would do more damage based on these principles. Others might know.

Well it's official...there are those of us who like 'em and those of us who hate them...

Now just grab a pair and see what camp you're in.;)

I think there are basically two groups of people concerning nunchucks: those who can use them (well), and those who can't. It takes a great deal of coordination to be able to flail them around without hitting yourself or anything around you (besides other people, I suppose). You'll never really know which group you belong to until you pick up a pair and try for yourself.

I have octogonal wooden ones...

Yeah, the reason you don't want to learn with padding is because there are times you'll actually wrap them around you... but in order to do so the chain/rope section is the part you actually want to wrap around. You have to put the tip right on your arm so you don't bash yourself. If you don't, then the other half swings into part of you... that happens only a few times. :D But yeah if you have padding on then, you'd still have to learn to do it without the padding as you won't be wearing any padding like that if you ever need to use them.

'Chucks are cool, and once I finally get back to my martial arts schoo, I'l be forced to learn them to acquire my black belt (along with the Staff and kamas). They're cool, and would be damn fun to impress people with. I'm always in awe in chuck demonstrations. And that in turn makes for one heck of an intimidation move.

Oh yeah back to that padding part. I suggest that you DO wear Head Gear. This'll save you from the brain damage Shokan speaks of. Chest pads aren't a bad idea either.

I got hit in the head with a pair with someone showing off in an NYC Pizza shop back in 1981.

he was flipping back over his shoulder not knowing that I was behind him. It smarted but thank goodness it was the first throw and not the subesquent ones where he had lots of momentum.

Like others have said id get a pair and have a play, maybe download/buy a vid or 2, you can practice swinging them and hand switches theres several different switches and only a couple have a chance of knocking you out if your not a fool. I used to dislike the switch when you cross your arm over your body, and swing the chuck over the opposite shoulder from behind as if you get it wrong the momentum sends it for your haed, but basic switches forwards and accross your back are easy. Foam ones are slower, and easier but wooden ones aint so bad. I started with wooden rope octogonal ones and did ok. I find chain to be slower and noisier than rope. if your goin to conceal id go with rope, although id assume rope is worse for locks. octogonal ones can give you blisters if you use them a lot moreso than rounded but i only got them if usin them couple of hours a day. They're only cheap so pick up a pair and have a go, start with simple switches and bounces of legs and body and you should be ok, this knocking yourself out business is a little exagurrated imo :D

Yeah.. I also had some black octogon wooden ones with ball bearings.. I played with them for years..now the are getting dusty.. I think I will get them out and see if I still have the edge